The most eye opening fact: I had assumed the items I placed in the Blue Bin was recycled. I followed the instructions received. I'm really disappointed since I thought I was doing "good" by helping to repurpose items to reduce adding pollutants into the environment.

Confusion stems from the labeling is not consistent across plastic or recycled materials. Not all cities or counties treat recycling the same. Also, there doesn't seem to be an incentive to recycle items.

I noticed I used plastics out of "convenience" example, plastic spoons, forks, etc. Actual silverware can be washed very quickly, it's sturdy and I don't have to worry about if it's and is sturdy.

Using bar soaps is a good way to reduce your plastic use. Even if you buy large containers of liquid hand soap and refill the sink-side containers, that's still a lot of plastic! I also learned about shampoo bars recently. Another way to cut down on plastics. That's next!

Macroplastics break down into microplastics and can enter our bodies in a variety of ways. Making the switch to safer food storage containers is a good way to reduce that risk.

People need to understand that only labeled materials can be processed by most recycling facilities and putting non-labeled materials in can mess up the system. Manufacturers of containers should be required to label all recyclable materials properly and clearly.